Montana Kaimin // 10.4.2017

Montana Kaimin What Goes Next?

CON D O MS AN D R ECYCLIN G AR E IN PERIL , BUT W HAT E LS E IS ON T HE CHOPPING BLO CK?

EDITORIAL Abolish the

ARTS Bondage and

SPORTS Is Montana a

university presidency

clamps and chains, oh my!

basketball school now?

Issue No. 5 October 4, 2017

KIOSK ON THE COVER Week of 10/2/17 - 10/8/17

ILLUSTRATION ZOIE KOOSTRA

The Weekly Crossword 1

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by Margie E. Burke

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Copyright 2017 by The Puzzle Syndicate

ACROSS 1 Top of the heap 70 Deuce taker 31 Opening 5 Crumbly cheese 71 Notice 32 Drop-off spot 9 As a rule 33 Downhill racer 14 A question of DOWN 34 Margarita fruit timing 1 Bad 35 Many a home15 By and by 2 Fine dinnerware coming attendee 16 Easily duped 3 Rich in content 37 Medicinal herb 17 Italian auto maker 4 Petition 40 Contrite 18 Gerard Butler, 5 Certain protest 42 Generous gifts for one 6 Taqueria treat 45 Chesapeake, 19 Adorable one 7 Before-long link e.g.

20 Falsehood 8 Monkey business 48 Clothing 22 Chilled 9 Again 50 Something to 24 Kind of cake 10 Source of leaks lend 25 1040 entry 11 One of the 52 Wander 27 Perspective Jackson 5 aimlessly 29 Candle type 12 Dark doings 54 Felipe's farewell 33 Louver piece 13 Requirement 55 Figure, as a sum 36 Former network 21 Coffee ___ 56 Grinding material anchor 23 Like a Conestoga 57 Shell food?

38 Johnny Bench wagon 58 Stop suckling was one 26 Fishing aid 59 Showy flower 39 Frog's perch 28 Barcelona 61 Nothing but 41 Soon, in old bigwig 64 Mangy mutt times 30 Something to 43 Down Under bird pump 44 Allow 46 Get the pot going Answers to Last Week’s Crossword: 47 Price factor G A G A G R A M C A S T 49 Tree with catkins A C R I D A U R A O G L E 51 Hand-color, in a S H I R E L I M N N A A N way P E N T A G O N P E T I T E 53 Marble I D E S C O R O N E T 57 Social network F L A M E T H R O W E R 60 Yawn inducer L I V E N A C E T R I G 62 High spot A L E D I S C O R D A D O 63 Desktop item P Y R E S E E R I F L E 65 Something to L A S E R P R I N T E R build on R U F F S C R E W U P 66 Memorial A L U M N A D O G T I R E D stonepile N O O N E D E M A L O N E 67 Roll up, as a flag C A N T R E L I C A N O N 68 Whiskey ___ E R G O L Y R E D E N T 69 Beginning stage

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REWARD for Robert J. Campbell 50 year award plaque taken from UC Center on Wednesday, September 27, 2017. Drop it off at UC Post office, no questions asked. If found call (406) 531-9880.

FOR SALE

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LOST OR FOUND

SALE... SALE... SALE... Hide & Sole in Downtown Missoula.

Get $10 off on any purchase of $75 or more. Get $20 off on any purchase of $200 or more. Short-Medium-Tall Boots.

Birkenstock, Blundstone, Born, Chaco, Clarks, Dansko, Keen, Merrell, New Balance, Oboz, Rieker, Sorel, Taos and many more footwear brands. Smartwool and Fits Socks.

Belts, Purses and Wallets. Hides & Supplies for Hobbyist.

Just show your UM ID Card for the Discounts. Does not apply to already discounted items. Can not be combined with other discount offers. 406-543-1128. hideandsole.com

HELP WANTED

PCA I am a male quadriplegic who is motivated and enjoys life. I need someone strong enough to do transfers. Shifts involve dressing, transfers, food preparation, shopping and house cleaning / laundry. These shifts also provide handson experience for people looking for employment in the growing medical fields. SHIFTS The shifts are early mornings and evenings. The housekeeping and laundry time are more flexible. Current shift openings are around 11 hours/ week. Reliable transportation is a must as well as punctuality and reliability. PAY / BENEFITS The pay is $11/hr and very affordable health insurance is available through Express Personnel Services for those working over 20 hours/ week. LOCATION Located near the Southgate Mall. CONTACT If you're interested in this position, please respond by email to rdean.phillips@gmail.comNB: The personnel agency will ask for references. Thanks. I do work days but I will respond as quickly as I can.

The Montana Kaimin is a weekly independent student newspaper at the University of Montana.

For comments, corrections or letters to the editor, contact editor@ montanakaimin.com or call (406) 243-4310.

For advertising opportunities, contact ads@montanakaimin.com or call (406) 243-6541.

NEWSROOM STAFF Editor-in-Chief Michael Siebert Managing Editors Margaret Grayson, Erin Goudreau News Editor Matt Neuman Arts & Opinion Editor Drew Novak Sports Editor Jackson Wagner Multimedia Editors Lacey Young, Reed Klass Print Design Editor Zoie Koostra Graphics Editor Kelsey Johnson Copy Chief Matt Neuman News Reporters Lydia Mercier, Lucy Tompkins, Cassidy Alexander, Melissa Loveridge, Rosie Costain, Keith Szudarski, Courtney Brockman, Briane White, Shaylee Ragar Arts & Opinion Reporters April Hummel, Cal Reynolds, Cayley Boyd, Jessica Sheldahl Sports Reporters Zachary Flickinger, Isaiah Dunk, Nick Puckett, Lucas Ailport Multimedia John Hooks, Hope Freier, Tate Samata, Dan Franz, Skylar Rispens, Liam Keshishian, Quinn Corcoran Designers Rene Sanchez, Cathryn Haberman-Fake, Caitlin Soltesz, Delanie Ferguson Copy Editors Savannah Sletten, Abby Lynes, Kate Cier BUSINESS STAFF Business Manager Taylor Crews Advertising Representatives Week of Emma Meredith, Eamon Gallagher Office Assistants Jesse Kipp, Yvonne Bunch

10/2/17 - 10/8/17

SERVICES

I Buy Imports < Subaru < Toyota-Japanese/German Cars & Trucks. Nice, ugly, running or not 327-0300

SUDOKU

Edited by Margie E. Burke

Difficulty: Easy

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Copyright 2017 by The Puzzle Syndicate

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HOW TO SOLVE:

Each row must contain the numbers 1 to 9; each column must contain the numbers 1 to 9; and each set of 3 by 3 boxes must contain the numbers 1 to 9.

Answers to Last Week’s Sudoku:

1 7 5 9 6 3 2 8 4

3 9 6 2 8 4 7 5 1

4 8 2 7 5 1 3 9 6

2 5 1 4 7 9 8 6 3

9 4 8 6 3 2 5 1 7

7 6 3 5 1 8 9 4 2

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8 2 7 1 9 6 4 3 5

OPINION K A I MIN E DITORIAL

Let’s abolish the university presidency Folks, we’ve made it through the fifth week of classes. Finally forced to confront the spectre of essays and exams, you’d be forgiven if you missed another important development taking place on campus: the search for the next UM president.

Here at the Kaimin, we did our best to provide you with relevant information on each of the four finalists as they made their campus visits. Mirta Martin said all the right things about the value of a liberal arts education, but she was unable to explain the mysterious circumstances behind her departure from Fort Hayes State University. Andy Feinstein seemed to have a handle on the specific budgetary issues UM faces, but he comes from a university that has yet to reckon with declining enrollment.

Seth Bodnar, Genereal Elective executive and self-identified nontraditional candidate, cited the contract labor behemoths of Uber, Facebook, and AirBnB as examples of innovative technologies produced by university students. Chuck Ambrose displayed administrative knowledge and experience but wavered when questioned about his commitment to UM’s sustainability goals.

We had intended to provide our own endorsement of one of the four finalists, but none of the options leave us particularly

confident in the ability of UM’s next president to effectively increase enrollment. Each candidate leaned heavily on claims their leadership was the best leadership, but that ultimately their job was to listen to the people who’ve been doing the work on issues of enrollment and retainment, and then execute that vision.

Is it possible the anarchists have been right all along? Why do we even need a University president?

It’s worth reviewing the ways in which presidents have been compensated at UM. For example, in his final year as UM president, Royce Engstrom made $303,145, about 4 1/2 times that of the average UM associate professor’s salary and 7 1/2 times that of the average UM lecturer’s salary. That is to say nothing of the $500,000 deferred compensation Engstrom was awarded after stepping down from his post as president as well as the $119,000 professorship position UM was required to offer him.

For so high a price, one would assume the responsibilities of a university president require a particular type of individual to execute them. In fact, that may be true, but only because the role of the University president is essentially one of public relations.

The presidential candidates last week spoke extensively about

fostering an environment of innovation and intellectual diversity at UM. But the actual responsibilities of the University president are to raise the profile of the University regionally and nationally, to raise money and to function as a figurehead for the institution.

Even when presidents appear to be unsuccessful in fulfilling these duties, it is rarely the case that the president’s salary suffers.

Departments get consolidated or cut altogether. Adjuncts and assistant professors get fired. But Main Hall remains intact.

Universities, including UM, could function well under a more egalitarian, representative board made up of faculty, staff and administrators such as deans. These are people whose primary function in higher education is to shape the lives of students. The heart and soul of this University are the students, staff and faculty, and we would be wise to remember that when thinking about who ought to run the place.

LIKE IT? HATE IT? WISH WE WERE DEAD? Email us your opinions at editor@montanakaimin.com

K A I MIN CO M IC

RENE SANCHEZ rene.sanchez@umontana.edu / @ReneSanchez440 montanakaimin.com October 4-10

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OPINION GU EST O P INION

Despite propaganda, the planet (and hope) aren’t dead yet On morning drives to elementary school, I’d often start my day hearing people talk on the radio about climate change and the doom and gloom that naturally goes with it. It didn’t take long for apocalyptic visions of the future to take root in my young mind.

So I took action. My best friend and I formed a club: Environmental Allies Ready to Help. Also known as EARTH, if you’re into brevity. We were the club’s only two members. We raised a couple hundred dollars in donations for the Arbor Day Foundation and felt that with enough ambition, we were prepared to tackle any and all of the world’s obstacles.

I wish I still felt that way. I now have a better understanding of the depth of this giant hole we’ve dug ourselves into. The vast majority of us are consumers through and through. The extent to which consumption is an ingrained aspect of our culture, economy and perceived social well-being is discouraging.

A Nielsen Company audience report in 2016 revealed that adults in the United States devote 10 hours and 39 minutes each day to media consumption, during which they are exposed to about 5,00010,000 advertisements. Thousands of images project the idea that anything one could possibly want can be bought. Consuming becomes the way to interact with the world. It’s become a way not only

to fulfill needs, but also to create meaning.

Reliance on the little smartphone screens that seek our attention remains unyielding. How many of my decisions are solely my own, and how many are influenced by the media? As consumers, our actions reinforce the economic system that’s devoted to infinite growth in a world with finite resources.

Advertisements appeal to us by equating desires for meaning, connection and success with a “buying is happiness” mentality.

Noam Shpancer, a professor with a Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Purdue University, said that, “Emotional reactions easily drown out and overtake intellectual analysis and fact-based reasoning. That’s the psychological edge exploited by the propagandist.”

In other words, in appealing to our emotions, advertisers prey on our fear of missing out. Simply put, FOMO is real, guys.

The problem is that we are dependent on our screens. We need them for homework, research, entertainment, staying connected and keeping up to date. How much the persuasive advertising voice reaches our sponge-like brains is largely out of our control. Even for someone who is informed about the pressure to consume and continue destructive patterns, I find it difficult not to participate.

News about the damaged state of the world and our looming

future is constant, and advertisements that inspire support for the consumer culture that encourages environmental destruction are pervasive. It doesn’t take much time when reading the news or in any environmental class to begin to feel impotent. What is one supposed to do after being informed that the environment’s destruction is inevitable? That the illness is terminal? I’m reminded of something I learned in UM professor Steve Schwarze’s Communication, Consumption and Climate class. We as a society must continue to care, even if the outcome will be inevitably bleak. When faced with the inevitable, there will always be a lesser evil.

In such times, Schwarze’s words are valuable. Not because they are particularly comforting, but because unlike the messages from incessant advertisements, they are true.

MIA TOMPKINS mia.tompkins@umontana.edu @mia_tompkins_

K A I MIN CO LU MN

Hug a non-trad student daily My freshman year of college was mostly filled with eating four bags of Orville Redenbacher popcorn a day and watching “Law & Order” in my room in Miller Hall.

Occasionally I experimented with something I like to call “going to class.” Very occasionally.

But the first day I attended the Art of the Essay course taught by the University of Montana’s hip uncle professor, Robert Stubblefield, I sat next to an older gentleman with a hearing aid and a neatly-kept notebook. On my other side was a vet who had suffered massive injuries in a helicopter crash and had issues walking. Across the room was an aspiring screenwriter with two small kids.

The class was liberally sprinkled with students who did not belong to the stereotypical “fresh outta high school” college kid trope. The non-traditional students, “nontrads,” were a force to be reckoned with, and they provided incredible insight that enriched the classroom that semester in a way that I had never experienced before.

As a sheltered and family-supported Bozemanite who went immediately from high school to our beloved university, it never really occurred to me that there were reasons for people to come earn a degree at 30, 40, and 50

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years old. I assumed the people in all of my classes would be like me: 18 years old and mildly shitty. The diversity in age and experience in that essay class changed how I felt immediately. The classes I shared exclusively with fellow 18-year-old shitheads with poor attitudes and a distaste for schooling were a marked difference from genuine passions non-trads shared.

I admire non-trads immensely. The amount of openness and patience one must possess to deal with kids coming directly from high school and engage with them as peers is beyond imaginable to me. I know myself at that turbulent point in young adulthood. It wasn’t pretty.

To the non-trads: thank you. You deserve recognition for tolerating the massively awkward circle-jerk of whatever 100-level gen ed you have to power through to get the credits you need, and I applaud you.

To my baby-faced fellow 15th-graders: Hug a non-trad daily. Maybe take a second to appreciate that they’ve circled the sun many more times than you have. They’d probably destroy you in a game of Trivial Pursuit to boot.

One of the best parts of attending a relatively — and I mean relatively — inexpensive and working-class state

school is its accessibility to people of all ages from all demographics. The presence of non-trads is a fantastic example of how refreshing that can be. There are schools all over the U.S. that have both cost and admission processes that are pretty unreasonable for students in general, let alone a single working mother of three trying to earn her nursing degree.

Chat up a non-trad. Chill with non-trads. Really get to know them. It’s dope. I promise. You can still find me weekly in Art for Non Majors, chatting up my ex-military buddy Salem about the tactical errors Daenerys Targaryen made in this season of “Game of Thrones.”

CAYLEY BOYD cayley.boyd@umt.edu @cayleyboyd

NEWS B UDG ET CU TS

No revenue information until Nov. 1

GRAPHIC KELSEY JOHNSON

SHAYLEE RAGAR shaylee.ragar@umontana.edu / @ shay_ragar

MATT NEUMAN matthewneuman@umontana.edu / @Matt_Neuman_ The University of Montana won’t have final enrollment numbers until November because up to 750 students haven’t paid their registration bills, UM administrators said.

Early enrollment numbers showed the student body down 5.5 percent this academic year, but that could drop further if students do not pay by the Nov. 1 deadline.

A slight uptick in new students enrolling may hint at a positive trend for the first time in five years. It was unclear how many of the students who had not yet paid were new students.

Students have until Nov. 1 to pay their bill before they are unenrolled in classes, a new policy from last year. This pushes back when the University can calculate its tuition revenue.

Tom Crady, UM vice president of enrollment management and student affairs, said spring 2017 budget planning had to be pushed back by a month to account for these delayed calculations.

Crady said fall headcounts showed 11,865 students registered this fall, with overall enrollment down due to a large graduating class not being fully replaced by new students.

The number of unpaid students is decreasing everyday, Crady said. The University built budget models under the assumption of 11,465 students, which seemed to be easily passed by the preliminary numbers. However, if more than 400 students fail to pay by the deadline, the revenue would fall short.

Crady lifted unnecessary holds and extended the payment deadline last year to help keep students at UM. Before this policy change, he said around 1,100 students would automatically be “thrown out” of their classes each year if they didn’t pay their bill within the first month of the semester.

“People would get frustrated and just leave,” Crady said.

In 2015, students who dropped out mid-semester caused

mid-year budget cuts. The Kaimin reported that year that UM originally announced enrollment to have dropped 3.8 percent and then later adjusted that number to be a 6.5 percent decline.

Cuts to state funding of the Montana University System, along with most other state agencies, are expected to be announced soon. The cuts could be up to 10 percent, meaning a “single-digit to possible double-digit million” cut to the University’s $145 million general fund, President Sheila Stearns said Thursday.

It is still unclear how these cuts will affect this year’s budget.

In comparison to last year, this year’s decrease resembles a distant light at the end of the tunnel, although according to the newly released numbers, enrollment is down 24.4 percent from its peak in 2011.

UM’s decline in enrollment began in 2012. This was the first year that enrollment fell below the two-year peak of over 15,000 students. It was also the year that former quarterback Jordan Johnson was tried for sexual assault, and UM’s response to accusations of sexual assault was criticized. montanakaimin.com October 4-10, 2017

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NEWS

What’s getting cut around campus?

We tend to think about the University of Montana’s financial struggles in terms of the people being affected — what departments will be lost, and which professors won’t be here next semester. But we don’t tend to think about the tangible objects we could lose.

Main Hall has yet to outline what might disappear. We won’t know final enrollment numbers until Nov. 1, and the proposed 10 percent cuts to most state agencies to fill a $227 million budget deficit looms over UM. But we’re beginning to see effects. In these two stories, you’ll read about why finding free condoms on campus is about to get a whole lot harder, and how the recycling program is getting screwed by declining enrollment. But with the amount of stuff required to make this campus run — staplers, landline phones, paper — we’re bound to see more reductions.

Consider if you’ve seen anything go missing around campus. And if you have, tell us about it. Send an email to editor@montanakaimin.com and we’ll be in touch. In the meantime, stock up on prophylactics wherever you can find them.

WHERE A R E TH E F REE CO ND O M S ?

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION LIAM KESHISHIAN

MELISSA LOVERIDGE melissa.loveridge@umontana.edu / @mel_loveridge UM is no stranger to budget cuts, but one cut comes in an unexpected place — condoms on campus.

A decade-old program allowing student volunteers to distribute free condoms from their dorm rooms is the latest victim of the budget crunch.

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In years past, students living in the dorms had the opportunity to be campus Condom Access for Responsible Encounters representatives, keeping a bag of condoms and single-serving lube tubes in their room. Posters invited students to the CARE rep’s room to get all kinds of safe sex supplies for free, from finger cots to female condoms. Many of the CARE reps were also resident assistants.

Curry Health Center Wellness Director Linda Green said that the elimination of the CARE program was collateral damage from cutting of the CARE student coordinator position. The coordinator

was a paid student position at Curry. This person was in charge of ordering condoms and supplies and making sure CARE reps signed confidentiality agreements.

Green also said that the program hadn’t attracted as many volunteers as in the past, dropping from “hundreds” to around 30 last year, and new rules for RAs made it harder for them to be do-ityourself style CARE coordinators.

Despite condoms no longer being available through CARE reps, Green said the Wellness Center at Curry Health still has a “condom wall,” where you can get all kinds of condoms, lube, and information about different forms of birth control.

John Nugent, interim assistant director of Residence Life, said that RAs are still welcome to hand out condoms to residents if they desire, but that they’ll need to talk to their area coordinators first.

“We don’t have a formal policy, we don’t make any RA do that, but if RAs want to hand out condoms in programming or even have condoms that they hand out to their residents, we are okay with that,” Nugent said.

He said RAs have to talk to their supervisor before offering condoms.

“We’d expect them to be saying, is this appropriate, can you consent, things like that,” he said.

RAs aren’t allowed to set out bowls of condoms in places that aren’t monitored, like dorm bathrooms, Nugent said, because it could compromise the effectiveness of the condom.

“I know that’s sort of a sad process to be thinking about, but the reality is you have to kind of take that into consideration,” he said. If condoms are left unattended, people could sabotage them by poking holes or tearing them.

“If RAs want to do passive programs or initiatives around condoms, we’re not saying no, we’re saying let’s talk about it and create a plan,” Nugent said.

The Curry Wellness Center and the Condom Wall are open and available to students every weekday from 9am to 5pm.

YOU TELL US!

NEWS

Many UM recycling bins are overflowing, having not been emptied in over a week. This one, outside of Pantzer Hall, is no exception.

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION

PHOTOS SARA DIGGINS

DROWNING I N PL AST I C: U M REC YC LING P RO GRA M STRU GGLE S TO STAY AFLOAT ROSIE COSTAIN anna.costain@umontana.edu / @rosecostain

Edi Stan held up a notice as he sat in his windowless office in the Facilities Services building. It told him to come pick up the overflowing recycling bins outside of McGill Hall, ASAP. "It's a little bit more like a firefighting process," Stan, the University of Montana recycling coordinator, said. "We go wherever people are asking us to go, to the ones that overflow, and then we try and stick to the schedule."

Despite the pickup schedule, UM's understaffed and underfunded recycling program can't keep up with the literal ton of materials they process each day.

The program includes two full-time workers, with Stan being one, and two part-time student employees. Together, they manage the recycling needs of over 11,000 students, plus the faculty and general University waste, including e-waste, furniture and metals.

A majority of the funding for the program comes from a $6 per semester student fee. According to UM sustainability coordinator Eva Rocke, the recycling program budget decreased significantly compared to last year due to lower enrollment.

"Everyone on campus expects for there to be a robust recycling program," she said. "With a smaller staff this year, with fewer student workers, and an ever-expanding campus, we're still expected to service all of those buildings.”

According to Rocke, student support is always high and certain departments are proactive about alerting Stan to overfull bins, but that support isn’t found everywhere.

Faculty and administrators can contribute to the program through payroll deductions, but only about 40 do. A letter to the faculty from President Sheila Stearns said that the Office of the President would match the total campus contribution, up to $1,000 per year.

In order to combat costs, the program is experimenting with sending recycling directly to Republic Services, the com-

pany that services the University, instead of sorting it on campus. This system could save on payroll and transportation costs, Rocke said.

As the recycling department employees race around, picking up what they can, they request much-needed support from those who do recycle. Stan asked that people remove lids and drink their entire drink before throwing it in a bin.

If people take the lids off, the bottles can be compressed, saving time spent sorting. Unemptied bottles are harder to lift and take a toll on employees, Stan said.

The program is looking to hire two more student employees to help keep bins from overflowing, Stan said, especially as more students order over-packaged items from Amazon.

"It's tedious work," said student employee Marko Capoferri.

Capoferri has worked for the recycling department for more than two years. He works eight hours a week and enjoys his job, but feels that the program can never keep up with the "mountains of trash.” montanakaimin.com October 4-10, 2017

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ARTS+CULTURE A RT IST P RO F ILE

Nick Offerman kept dick jokes to a minimum in his “Full Bush” show CALLAHAN PEEL callahan.peel@umontana.edu / @callahan_peel

Entertainer Nick Offerman doesn’t care what you call his “Full Bush.” Naming the new comedy tour was a snap decision made during a phone call with an agent, but he stressed the title is irrelevant.

“It really doesn’t matter. You can call my show ‘Pickles and Gin,’” the actor/author/comic performer said. “Whatever you call it I will get on stage and gripe about things that I have strong opinions about.”

Offerman, 47, is best known for playing gun-toting Libertarian Ron Swanson on NBC’s hit comedy show “Parks & Recreation.” He performed at the University of Montana’s Adams Center Saturday, Sept. 30. The famously-mustached talent will cover personal grooming at length, but also explore topics like survivalist living and “barrelling into the bush” as a life philosophy.

Offerman prefers to speak about positive subject matter, rather than descending into immaturity.

“It’s easy to talk exclusively about my genitalia and make people laugh, but that feels a little lazy,” he said. “I try to keep the genitalia talk to 17 to 22 percent.”

Offerman credits his success as a humorist to the gravelly tone and cadence of his speaking voice. He doesn’t write jokes and refuses to call himself a comedian. He said that even though he doesn’t try to be funny, talking about his passions usually ends up making people laugh.

“My friends that are the greatest comedians in the world work very hard at it and they have such a gift for writing jokes. I don’t operate that way,” Offerman said. “I’m willing to accept the title of humorist and comedy performer, but I think that great comedians have a special skillset that I don’t have.”

Offerman didn’t intend to work in comedy at all. After graduating from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, he moved to Chicago to pursue a career in stage acting. He went on to cofound the Defiant Theater while woodworking as a way to pay the bills.

Offerman has appeared on “ER,” “Will & Grace” and many other television shows. He has acted in films such as “Fargo” and “The Men Who Stare at Goats.” He won a Television Critics Association Award for Achievement of Comedy in 2011. He has also narrated books for Audible and once performed in an episode of the YouTube show “Drunk History.”

Despite his fame, Offerman remained humble when asked about his time on “Parks & Recreation.” He spoke highly of co-star Amy Poehler and called working on set “one of the best experiences of his life.” He doesn’t have a

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October 4-10, 2017 montanakaimin.com

Nick Offerman performs a song he wrote after receiving a request to keep his show PG-13 by a university faculty member at the Adams Center on Sept. 30. PHOTO LIAM KESHISHIAN

favorite moment or episode, but enjoyed the scenes where he acted alongside his wife of 14 years, Megan Mullally of “Will & Grace.”

In the show, Mullally played Ron Swanson’s ex-wife, Tammy Two. The unconventional couple engaged in toxic love affairs throughout the show’s run. He enjoyed these parts for “obvious reasons” and referred to his wife as a “comedy genius.”

The pair recently announced they were co-writing a book about their epic romance, to be released next fall. Offerman enjoys working with his wife, speaking at length about her talent and work ethic.

“It’s like being married to a Mel Brooks movie. She’s legendary,” Offerman said.

Those looking to make it in show business need to be tenacious, Offerman said. Famous comedians he knows work extremely hard but make it look easy. He urges aspiring performers to get on stage as much as they can, to work hard and to not be afraid of failure.

“Whatever your foibles are, whatever your weaknesses are, those are your greatest strengths. We’re all human beings. We’ll continue to fail by definition,” Offerman said. “If you can recognize what is unique and special about the way you fall down, you can achieve great success.”

ARTS+CULTURE F E AT U R E D ARTIST

‘Bondage Picasso’ Hayden Ferguson ties up Missoula art scene ZOIE KOOSTRA zoie.koostra@umontana.edu/@zee_a_koostra Artist Hayden Ferguson munched on tater tots, completely unfazed by the wall behind him featuring at least 40 different dildo models. And why would he be? He was in his natural habitat as he sat down to discuss his artwork and upcoming First Friday shows.

Ferguson creates art with unexpected and sometimes scandalous materials, some of which he collects from the adult store, Adam and Eve, where he works.

“I love using odd materials,” he said. “Lots of nipple clamps and clitoral clamps, bondage rope, liquid latex, which is used to make body suits. I’ve used human hair, but you can’t buy that here.”

His work takes items that others might deem tawdry or cheap and transforms them into something beautiful. To Ferguson, the chains and clamps that comprise his day job look more like jewelry.

“I’ve tried to use my work to elevate them into fine art that people want to see instead of just these tools for pleasure or pain,” he said. “Even now, with sex positivity, people still blush at things like that.”

Despite the unconventional materials, Ferguson’s work is surprisingly minimalist.

“I find a lot of beauty in plain surfaces. I really like minimalistic stuff. I think people have a hard time seeing the beauty in things that look dull at first,” he said. “There’s a piece in Plonk that I just love. It’s just plain white squares with these lights behind them. People don’t get it, but right next to it is this big painting of Audrey Hepburn, like that isn’t the most played-out, cheesy thing.”

Ferguson also attributes his streamlined art style to his life experiences, or rather, the lack thereof. He recognizes that some great art is inspired by great pain, which he has little experience with.

“I think my life has been really posh. I haven’t had any experiences that set me apart,” Ferguson said. “I don’t have anything bad that’s happened to me. Maybe that’s why my work is so minimalist.

I’m kind of impressed that I’m able to do it without having [experienced] something like that.”

The 25-year-old left his hometown of Great Falls in 2010 to study psychology and art at the University of Montana and now works as a study coordinator in a research lab on campus in addition to his Adam and Eve gig. Though he continues to create, he is also shifting his focus and applying to grad schools.

“Art isn’t really a part of my plan for myself in the next five years,” he said. “I’ll still be painting because I like it and it’s good stress relief.

It would be interesting to do it in a new town where I don’t know anybody, because often I get shows just through knowing people.”

Ferguson has two shows coming up on the First Friday of October, one at the Western Montana Community center solely focusing on photography and a 3D show at American Made Tattoo. The show will feature canvas sculptures, gel candles melted into mosaic tiles, and of course, some sex stuff, too.

Hayden Ferguson’s photo, titled “Panty Raid,” is part of a portrait series where lingerie is used as headwear.

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO HAYDEN FERGUSON

montanakaimin.com October 4-10, 2017

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SPORTS BASKETBALL

Foreign freshmen bolster Griz basketball

LUCAS AILPORT lucas.ailport@umontana.umt.edu / @lucas_ailport It can be challenging enough for someone to go to school in a different state. Imagine instead having to go to school in a different country, leaving everything behind. Two freshmen on the Montana men’s basketball team have done that.

At least Admir Besovic and Lars Espe, who happen to be roommates, can do it together. Besovic, a 7-foot center, is from Sarajevo, the capital city of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Espe, a 6-foot-1 point guard is from Bergen, Norway, about 288 miles west of the capital city, Oslo.

“Lars is a point guard who shares the ball and is good for chemistry, he’s played at a very competitive level so I think he is ready to go,” head coach Travis DeCuire said. “Admir... the size and girth is something we have not had since I have been here and I think he is somebody who can bring an ability for us to help us defend the post without having to double down.”

The move to another continent can be a struggle, attempting to meet new people while also adapting to a different culture. Since Besovic and Espe are roommates, it helps make that challenge a little easier on the both of them.

The decision to leave home was tough for both. When Besovic moved to the U.S., it was the first time he had ever distanced himself from his family. Espe could agree that is something that takes some getting used too.

“You’re a long way from home. You can’t just go and talk to your best friend or family if you have a problem, you kind of just have to figure it out yourself,” Espe said.

Living with each other eases the situation of meeting new people and having someone to talk too. Espe said that they have been bonding since moving in with each other.

“I think they are both doing well in terms of getting along with the team and spending time with the guys, and I think they are both meeting friends as well which is really important,” DeCuire said.

Espe was named the 2017 Young Player of the Year in the BLNO, Norway’s professional league. He played two seasons professionally, a total of 43 games. He averaged a little more than 15 points per game and in his 2016-2017 season averaged about five assists per game. Since he wasn’t paid in the league, he maintained NCAA eligibility.

Living in the United States isn’t something completely new to Besovic. The big man came to Virginia in 2015 from his home country to continue his education. He played basketball and went to school at the Virginia Episcopal School in Lynch-

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October 4-10, 2017 montanakaimin.com

Griz freshman Lars Espe dribbles down the court during basketball practice in Dahlberg Arena on Sept. 29. PHOTO HOPE FREIER

burg, Virginia, for two years.

He was only there for two seasons, but he won the role of team captain. He averaged 11.2 points per game and 6.8 rebounds per game in his senior campaign. However, he said the pace of the game is a lot different than it is in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

“Basketball here is much faster, so it took some time to adjust to the speed and I didn’t run as much plays as I did before,

so there was that transition as well,” Besovic said.

Espe, who has played at a high level before, hasn’t seen much of a change of pace since transitioning over, saying that there are some small things that he needs to work on.

They will have a chance to focus more on basketball now.

The first official Griz basketball practice was Friday, Sept. 29.

The first game of the season isn’t until Nov. 10, but things will start to pick up on Oct. 24 at the Maroon and Silver scrimmage.

SPORTS C ROSS CO U NTRY

Pittis top collegiate finisher at Montana Invitational ZACHARY FLICKINGER zachary.flickinger@umontana.edu / @zflickinger7

Emily Pittis crossed the finish line as the top collegiate female athlete Friday at the Montana Invitational — but she did it without teammate and running partner Maryn Lowry by her side.

“It felt really weird, I didn’t want to leave her but she told me I needed to do that,” Pittis said. “She is a fifth year who just came here this year, but I feel like I’ve known her my whole life.”

Pittis embraced Lowry on the ground after she crossed the finish line, taking ninth overall. Lowry fought sickness coming into last week’s competition, but Pittis said she expects them to be finishing together in upcoming races.

At the Clash of the Inland Northwest on Sept., 1 Pittis and Lowry finished second and third overall. In the second home race of the year, Pittis forged ahead without her to the finish line, finishing more than 11 seconds ahead of the next runner with a time of 17:59.

Former Arkansas runner Stephanie Brown ran unattached, finishing first in the five-kilometer course in a time of 17:47. Brown is an eight-time All-American and currently helps the Montana State Cross Country team.

“The first girl was running unattached so it kind of felt like a win,” Pittis said. “It felt good to come out and do well at home, my parents were there and there was a lot of people out cheering.”

Reagan Colyer was the second Montana runner to finish, placing eighth overall. She was followed by Lowry in ninth, Samantha Engebretsen finishing 21st, Madeline Hamilton in 22nd and Jessica Bailey in 27th.

The men’s and women’s teams both dropped their duels against Eastern Washington and Montana State.

Jonathan Eastwood led the way for the men’s team finishing sixth with a time of 26:05. Eastwood performed to his own expectancy after nursing an Achilles injury that sidelined him at the Montana State Invitational.

Eastern Washington’s Colton Johnsen won the men’s eight-kilometer race with a time of 25:33. For the rest of the men’s team, Micah Drew, Dillon May, Andrea Baratte and Paden Alexander finished close together in the top 20.

“We definitely have worked hard in practice, this team has brought a different intensity that I haven’t seen in the years I’ve been here,” Eastwood said.

The cross country teams have two more races at Santa Clara and Lewis-Clark State, both on Oct. 14, before competing in the Big Sky Conference Championship on Oct. 28.

Emily Pittis runs the final few feet of the 5-kilometer run during the Montana Invitational on Sept. 29. Pittis finished as the top female collegiate athlete. PHOTO HOPE FREIER

K A I MIN CO LU MN

Views from the 406: Is Montana a basketball school now?

Montana is a football school. It always has been. The Griz have been the most successful Big Sky Conference team in the past three decades and have the best football atmosphere in the FCS. But things are starting to shift. The Griz won 15 conference titles, including an incredible 12 in a row, from 1993 to 2009. There was no questioning the dominance of the Grizzlies. But since that 2009 season, when the Grizzlies lost their second straight national championship game, the Griz have zero Big Sky titles. (They finished with the best record in 2011, but vacated the title after NCAA sanctions.)

The football team is unranked this season with a record of 3-2.

They are 1-1 in the Big Sky, but with a loss to Eastern Washington two weeks ago, it is unlikely the Griz will be able to make a run at the conference title.

Since 2011, Griz basketball have won three of six Big Sky regular season championships and a pair of tournament champion-

ships as well. The success dates back to the days of Will Cherry and Kareem Jamar, who, under coach Wayne Tinkle, changed what it means to play Griz basketball.

Travis DeCuire and his team, which began practice last Friday, have continued the tradition set up by the Tinkle teams. The Griz have played in the Big Sky championship game twice in the last three years, and while they may have left empty handed, Griz fans have raised their expectations of the basketball team.

This year’s team should compete for a conference championship again, providing Griz fans relief from the expected heartbreak that this football season will bring.

Ahmaad Rorie is the star of this Griz team, coming off a season where he averaged 18 points and three assists. His backcourt mate Michael Oguine might be the best perimeter defensive player in the conference and also excels on the offensive end thanks to his elite athleticism.

Fabijan Krslovic is the only senior on the team. The 6-foot-8 Australian is the unquestioned leader. A 4.0 student, Krslovic led the team in rebounds and assists from a year ago.

The Griz are young, but with a combination of returning stars and exciting new players like Jamar Akoh and Lars Espe, they will be talented enough to compete for the conference title.

The construction of the Champions Center shows that football is still king in Montana. But basketball isn’t far behind, and if the success on the hardwood continues, the University of Montana could be a basketball school before too long.

JACKSON WAGNER

jackson.wagner@umontana.edu @jackson_wagner montanakaimin.com October 4-10, 2017

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